Happy Valentine's Day

I made Valentine's this year and had fun playing with paints and inks. I learned this technique from Kat McCullough years ago. The paper is Tyvek, cut into 3.5" squares with added layers of paint and ink. The first layer of acrylic paint is applied on one side, folded in half to get a Rorschach effect. Dry each layer well. The second layer is acrylic inks. I love the textures created and the look of the layered papers.  Enjoy your Valentine's Day.

Experiments in Black and White

Last month, I took a workshop in Victoria BC with Steve Aimone, "The Spiritual Language of Art". We explored abstract painting with exercises in nonobjective composition and the process of abstracting from a reference. This workshop challenged and pushed me in ways that often felt very uncomfortable. My struggles made me realize that I need a regular studio practice to learn the elements of design inside and out. Knowing these elements intimately will help them become more intuitive in my artwork. I want my artwork to come from my intuition which is often elusive. It's hard to turn my left brain off and trust my right brain to take over and go for it. I'm starting with 9x12 inch black and white drawings/paintings on paper. Here's number 1.

Wild Arts Festival November 22 & 23

Come this weekend to the Wild Arts Festival- a fund raiser for the Audubon Society of Portland. Check out this preview of the 202 6x6 canvases of bird Art for sale-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=KrfGd90mWac

Audubon 6x6 Wild Art Project

Here's my submission for the 2014 Audubon Society of Portland's 6x6 Wild Art Project.  The 6x6 bird canvases will sell for $45 each and benefit the Audubon Society.  The artwork helps to support their conservation, environmental and wildlife rehabilitation work. The Wild Arts Festival will be November 22nd-23rd at Montgomery Park. Hope to see you there.

Autumn Flowers

It's raining now.  Autumn flowers bloom and brighten the darker days.  Thank goodness for the dahlias, roses and zinnias.  My weather gram for the Autumn Equinox - morning dew touches flowerbed webs.

Lake Cavanaugh Sketch

Here's the view from Mary's Quilting Cabin at Eagle Point on Lake Cavanaugh. My Seattle and Vancouver BC friends met here for a retreat. We enjoyed the view, ate well and spent time art journaling, stitching, sketching, reading and relaxing.  It's blessing to have wonderful friends.

Plaster, Paint and Wax

Playing with plaster for texture, paint and added wax, I created these pieces on wood. Based on a workshop taught by Dayna Collins and Stephanie Brockway, I really enjoyed the process. The mandala below is 6x6 inches.

 

Here's a much more abstract interpretation.  I really like the texture created with the plaster. This piece is 8x8 inches.

My favorite is this wooden box. It's five inches square.